Google Has Been Trying To Beat Facebook In Social For Years

But if it takes off, Google could eventually use +1 as a sort of social graph overlaying over the Web -- much like Facebook has done by letting sites put those "Like" buttons everywhere.

It could also use +1 to bring content from Google News and other sources into a real-time personalized news feed, like the Facebook home page or Twitter feed.

But this isn't Google's first crack at becoming more social. The company has been trying to get into the social space ever since Friendster launched in 2002 -- Google tried to buy it but was shot down.

Some of these products have done OK. Others have failed so utterly, you've probably forgotten their names -- if you ever knew them to begin with.